Fiddling while Toronto burns7/2021 - It may be time for the province and the Ontario Energy Board to completely overhaul the traditional approach to natural gas consumption by promulgating conservation policies that provide building owners and homeowners with financial incentives to get off gas entirely instead of simply moving to high efficiency gas furnaces.
All new Toronto buildings could soon face tighter greenhouse gas emissions targets7/2021 - "With a rapidly growing city, there is simply no path to net zero that doesn't require a transition to near-zero new construction," Bryan Purcell, TAF VP, told the city's Planning and Housing Committee. "The Toronto Green Standard is by far Toronto's most important climate policy."
Toronto’s New Buildings Could Soon be Required to Go Greener7/2021 - Update to the Toronto Green Standard would require that all new mid-high rise buildings produce fewer carbon emissions and consume less energy. The update would take effect May 2022 and require a 25% drop in annual greenhouse gases and a 28% cut in energy use intensity.
Canadians need real incentives to fuel-switch away from natural gas if we hope to achieve our climate goals6/2021 - Fuel switching isn’t simply about improving energy efficiency – it’s about getting off gas. For Canada to reach climate goals, we need a phase out of gas-fired electricity, greener building standards, and targeted rebates for heat pumps in retrofits and new construction.
Who should be investing in the creation of a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles?3/2021 - “Getting beyond a handful of gas stations to create a convenient charging network will require both public and private investment. Plugging in has to be accessible and affordable to accelerate EV adoption. That’s why government also has a role to play to enable market growth," says The Atmospheric Fund's CEO Julia Langer.
Toronto’s on-street parking spots reserved for charging electric vehicles often sitting empty3/2021 - “We urgently need a reliable and convenient network of on-street charging across Toronto to help speed up adoption of EVs,” says Ian Klesmer, strategy and grants director at The Atmospheric Fund.
‘Code red:’ New climate change study finds carbon emissions are steadily rising in Toronto and the GTA3/2021 - Carbon emissions are steadily rising across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, an alarming trend that the climate agency tracking the data said should serve as a “code red” for the municipalities. The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) found that emissions increased by seven per cent in Toronto and rose by 5.2 per cent in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in 2018.
Harnessing the potential of Hamilton industry’s waste heat2/2021 - HAMILTON SPECTATOR - During the past two years, the Chamber partnered with The Atmospheric Fund and McMaster University’s W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, Hamilton Community Energy Inc., and others, to conduct research on the potential to capture waste heat at Hamilton’s Bayfront Industrial Area.
Canada’s municipalities push for health-based climate action1/2021 - THE LANCET - Canada’s cities are leading the efforts to stem the harmful effects of the climate emergency on human health.
How to trigger a net-zero building wave11/2020 - CORPORATE KNIGHTS - Roundtable makes business case for deep retrofits and net-zero new builds
Under the hood of Environmental Insights Explorer’s latest transportation emissions release11/2020 - MEDIUM - EIE is a free online platform developed by analyzing Google’s comprehensive global mapping data together with standard GHG emission factors to help cities measure, plan, and track efforts in their climate action plans.
California just voted down stricter gig economy rules. Now, Toronto advocates are asking: do app companies have too much power?11/2020 - TORONTO STAR - TAF's Juan Sotes comments on the carbon impact of rideshare programs in Toronto.
